A four-day international conference of doctors, lawyers, scientists and nuclear experts from 27 countries concluded in Basel yesterday with the release of the Basel Declaration on human rights and trans-generational crimes resulting from nuclear weapons and nuclear energy.

The declaration draws from the scientific evidence presented to the conference, and the application of international law, to conclude that:

'the risks and impacts of nuclear weapons, depleted uranium weapons and nuclear energy, which are both transnational and trans-generational, constitute a violation of human rights, a transgression of international humanitarian and environmental law, and a crime against future generations.'

Energy and security possible without nukes

The Basel conference also considered alternatives to nuclear energy and the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines. As such, the declaration affirms that:

The energy needs of all countries can be met by safe, sustainable, renewable energies, and that the security of all countries can be met without reliance on nuclear weapons.

The declaration highlights that 'The high risks of nuclear weapons being used in current conflicts such as in North East Asia, in other times of tension, and until nuclear weapons are eliminated provides an imperative for nuclear abolition.'

President of the UN General Assembly selects civil society speakers for the UN High-Level Meeting, Sep 26

The principal aims of the day are to increase public awareness and action for nuclear abolition, and to advance negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention - an international treaty to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. In New York, the UN holds a High-Level Meeting annually on September 26, which all UN member countries are invited to address at the highest possible level (e.g. head of state or foreign minister). There is also space for two representatives of civil society to speak. This year, the civil society representatives chosen by the President of the UNGA to speak are:

Marzhan Nurzhan (Kazakhstan). Marzhan is PNND Coordinator for CIS countries and Convener of the Youth Working Group of Abolition 2000, the global network to eliminate nuclear weapons;

Dennis Kucinich (USA). Dennis was nominated by the Basel Peace Office. He is former Mayor of Cleveland and Member of the U.S. Congress, where he served as Chair of the Progressive Caucus.

We expect that the High Level session will be able to be watched live on UN Web TV.